Coupling system for regulating apparatus



AQ. 1N, 193?- lw. PoN-rcw couriam sysml ron nsamnna APPARATUS lmed Feb. s, v19in ffy 2.

INVENTOR Werner Pon ow WITNESSES? ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED "STATES PATENT oFElc-E WERNER PONTOW, F BERLIN-WILIEBSDORF, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A COBPOBATIONCF PENNSYL- VANIA p COUPLING SYS'IEI FOB BEGULATING AIPABATUS Application med February 3, 1931, Serial le. 513,149, and in Germany February 5, 1980.

My invention relates to regulating systems and has particular relation to means for coupling a mechanically operated anti-hunting device and a normal-quantity magnitude adjusting device with the quantity responsive element in a regulating system. In regulators in which a pointer cou led with a measuring instrument engages xed contact member to close circuits for operating a motor to effect adjustment of the regulating means, some anti-hunting device is necessary to prevent overshooting of the regulatin action. Such anti-hunting devices, when o the mechanical type, operate to effec-t a temporary movement of the holder carrying the fixed Contact members tending to disengage or break the circuit established therethrough,

which movement is followed after a time dev lay by a return of the contacts to the original o at rest position.

If, in addition, such a regulating system is provided with a remote control device operated either manually or in accordance with the n', indication of a second measuring instrument, ".by means of which the contact holder may be culty has been experienced in providing coupling means whereby these two movements may be made to actuate the contact holder independently of each other. The problem to which the present invention is directed is that of eliminating interference between the movements just named.

It is an object of my invention to provide in a regulating system of the type described, a mech anical coupling means for transmitting 5 to the contact making members both the antihunting and the positional-adjusting movements. 1

It is a further object of my invention to provide in a regulating system, means for cou- 53 pling'a contact holding element with the antihunting and with the positional-adjusting deby made entirely satisfactory and stable.

My invention, both Vas to its organization -and its method of operation together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the circuits comprising one type of regulating system to which my invention is applicable,

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of one form of contact holder which may be employed in the system shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in side and partly in sectional elevation, of mechanical and additional electrical equipment constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention for combination with a regulating system such as is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fi 4 is a view in side elevation of the mechanlcal linkage used for coupling the antihunting device with the differential mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, particularly Fig. 1 thereof, the system there represented is of the well known and extensively used voltage regulating type which is illustrated as applied to a direct-current generator, shown generally at 10, which supplys power to a circuit represented by conductors 11 and 12. A voltage-responsive device 13, of the contact making voltmeter type, serves to control the operation of a motor 14, shown as being of the well known split-field, direct-current, series type, and which operates the rheostat 15, to control the excitation of the generator field 9in a-manner to maintain the voltage between conductors 11 and 12 at some predetermined constant value. The voltage-responsive element 13 comprises the usual pointer or, indicator 16, and a set of positionally adjustable contacts 17 and 18 cooperating therewith.

Deviation of the voltage 1n either direction from the normal predetermined value causes pointer 16 to move into engagement with the one or the other of the contacts 17 or 18, completing a circuit for energizing the motor 14 of rheostat 15 as to cause 1t to operate in a direction to bring the voltage of generator 10 back to the normal value.

Thus, a rise in the voltage between conductors 11 and 12 above its normal value causes the pointer 16 to engage the contact 17, thus completing a circuit which extends from one side of a control battery 19, through conductor 20, pointer 16 of responsive device 13, associatedcontact 17, conductor 21, section 22 of rheostat motor field, armature 23 of motor 14, and conductor 24 to other side of battery 19. Thus energized the motor 14 operates the rheostat 15 in a direction to lower the voltage of generator 10.

In like manner a drop in voltage below its normal value causes pointer 16 of the voltage indicator to move into engagement with contact 18, completing an energizing circuit for the rheostat motor 14 which extends from battery 19, conductor 20, pointer 16, contact 18, conductor 25, section 26 of the motor field, motor armature 23, conductor 24, back to battery 19. The rheostat motor 14 now rotates in the reverse direction, operating the rheo- I stat 15 to raise the voltage of generator 10 to the normal value.

The system of Fig. 1 will be understood to be representative of regulating systems which comprise a quantity-responsive element, such as the contact-making voltmeter shown at 13, and a quantity-control element actuated thereb such as the rheostat shown in the same gure at 15, and is illustrated and described for the purpose of clearly indicating the operation and advantages of my invention. It will be understood that my invention is applicable to many other regulating systems in which the two elements above named are present, such as systems for regulating iuid pressure, quantity flow, magnitude, or intensity of a regulated quantity.

To prevent overshooting of the quantitycontrol element in its corrective operation, some anti-hunting means is necessary. As already mentioned, such means may comprise a device for mechanically separating the contact members of the quantity-responsive device when the control device is actuated, such positional displacement of the contact members to be of but temporary duration so that they return after a time delay, to theiroriginal at rest position.

To provide for this anti-hunting feature, the contact members 17 and 18 of the quantity-change-responsive device, shown at 13 in Fig. 1, are mounted on a .ositionally-adjustable support which may. e of the construction shown in Fi 2 at 27. Such positional adjustability of t e contact members likewise permits the normal value of the quantity regulated to be varied by suitably shifting, the' neutral or at rest position of the contact members 17 and 18.

Referring to Fi 3, the view there shown indicates one pre erred arrangement of the cooperating mechanical parts embodied in the system of my invention. The quantity-responsive element 13 is drawn to an enlarged scale for purposes of greater clarity, movable pointer 28 thereof is mounted on a shaft 29, and the previously mentioned contact element 16 is disposed to engage contacts 17 or 18, carried by the support 27 shown in Fig. 2. This support is mounted on a shaft 30 carrying thereon a gear wheel 31. Movement of gear wheel 31 is effected through a cooperating gear wheel 32 carried by shaft 33.

To communicate movement to the contact carrying member 27 by rotation of shaft 33 from the anti-hunting means shown generally at 34, and from the positionalad]ust1ng means shown generally at 35, aV diiferential.

mechanism 36 is provided. This mechanism comprises two bevel gear wheels 37 and 38 mounted loosely on shaft 33 and cooperating with a bevel pinion 39, the shaft 40 of which communicates planetary rotation or movement of pinion 39 to shaft 33. Connected to bevel gear wheel 37, through the mechanical linkage shown in Fig. 4, is the anti-hunting device 34, and connected to bevel gear wheel 38 through gears 41 and 42 is the positional-adjusting means 35.

The anti-hunting means shown at 34 comprises an Isodorm brake 43, disposed to be operated through the double-reduction gearing 44 by a motor 45. This brake operating motor 45 is arranged for parallel energization with motor 14 which operates control device 15, in the manner already explained, lines21, 24', and 25 of Fig. 1 indicating conductors for effecting such parallel connection. Energization of motor 45 causes ro v tation of its shaft which' is communicated through reduction gearing 44 to gear 46 attached to the brake.

As will be seen, the Isodorm brake 43 comprises a vertically movable piston 49 surrounded by an open top cylinder 50, which cylinder is filled to a certain height with oil.

Coil springs 51 and 52, disposed in compression, act in opposite directions against collars 53, which collars bear against the an nular projection 54 of cylinder 50 to hold it normally in a mid-position determined by projection 55 on the interior of the brake casing. Movement of piston 49 in a vertical direction is eifected by rotation of the previously mentioned gear-wheel v46, the

threaded bore 47 of which acts upon the threaded portion of plunger rod 48.4 The rod 48 is prevented from rotating, and is free to move in a vertical direction under the action of gear 46.

A downward movement of the piston 49 creates a pressure upon the oil entrapped in cylinder 5() below the piston which causes an intial downward movement of the cylinder 50 against the action of spring 51. Piston 49 has an opening 56 therein to provide communication between the spaces above and below. The compressive action of spring 51 tends to cause the cylinder to return to its initial position, and forces a portion of the fluid located below the piston to flow through the opening 56 into the space above, thereby introducing a time delay in the return of cylinder 50 to its neutral position after the piston 56 has been moved downwardly.

The size of opening 56 is determined by the position of a needle valve 57, which is provided with adjusting means 58 for yarying the time delay required for the cylinder 50 to return to the mid-position.

It will be evident that a similar action takes place when the piston 49 is moved in an upward direction, it initially moving the cylinder 5 0, which, after a time delay sutlicient to allow the excess oil above to How through the opening to equalize the pressure. unbalance created by the compressible action of spring 52, returns to the original mid-position.

Movement of cylinder 50 is communicated to the outside of the brake by rod 58, which through a connection comprising lever arm 59, link 60, and lever arm 61, shown in Fig. 4, transmits a corresponding movement to bevel gear wheel 37 of the differential mechanism 36.

Considering further the operation of the regulating system of Fig. 1, a rise in voltage, for example, in moving pointer element 16 into engagement with contact 17 to energize the rheostat operating motor 14, simultaneously cnergizes the Isedorm brake 34 operating motor 45 causing both motors to rotate in unison. While the motor operated rheostat 15 is moved to lower the voltage of generator 10, the brake operating motor 45 rotates in a direction to move the brake plunger 49 downwardly which movement is transmitted through the medium of the oil to cylinder 50 and thence communicated by rod 58, and the linkage shown in Fig. 4, to bevel gear wheel 37 of the differential mechamsm.

Gear wheel 37 of the differential mechanism 36 is thereby rotated in such a direction that the resulting planetary movement of bevel pinion 39 about bevel gear 38. assumed to be stationary, rotates shaft 33, in a direction which in communicating the movement to contact support 27 through gears 32, 31 and shaft 30, moves contact 17 out of engagement with pointer 16 thereby stopping the operation of both the rheostat motor 14, and the brake motor 45. After a time delay spring 51 of the Isodorm brake causes the cyllnder 50 to return to its neutral position, and to correspondingly effect a return of the contact holder 27 to its original position.

lf the corrective action of rheostat 14 has been sufficient, contact 17 will not re-engage pointer 16. If, however, the action has been insuflicicnt to effect the necessary change in voltage, contact 17 will re-engage pointer 16, and the operation just described will be 1epeated.

A lowering of the voltage between conductors 11 and 12 causes element 16 to engage Contact 18 and sets up a sequence of operations similar to those just described except that the corrective and the, anti-hunting movements take place in the opposite directions.

Itis, evident, therefore, that the system operates in the desired manner when the positional-adjusting means 35 connected to dii.'- ferential gear 38, remain stationary, and as will be seen, further, the differential mechanism 36, disposed as shown in Fig. 3 likewise permits a positional adjusting operation to proceed without interfering with the anti'- hunting movement, and vice-Versa.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the positional-adjusting means comprise a motor 62 arranged to drive a worm gear 63 which engages the teeth of a cooperating gear 64 carried on shaft 65 disposed to communicate its movement to bevel gear 38 of the differential mechanism through the previously mentioned gears 41 and 42. The motor 62, which is also shown as of the split-field, series type, may be energized in any desired manner, such as by the actuation of remotely located raise and lower push buttons 66 and 67, respectively, or by the operation of some other quantity indicating device, not shown, which establishes the necessary or equivalent motor operating circuits.

In order that the Isodorm brake will not be operated while the contact holder 27 is being shifted from one at rest position to another, each of the push button switches 66 and 67 is provided with a break contact member 68 and 69, respectively, which serves to interrupt the energizing circuit of brake motor 45 when either of the buttons is depressed. Figs. 1 and 3 indicate the electrical connections'employed for this purpose.

Assuming that it is desired to raise, in the to shaft 33, and thence to thel contact holder 27. Contact 18 lis thereby moved into engagement with pointer 16 of the voltage responsive elelnent, and thus initiates a raising action of the motor operated rheostat 15, which continues until the voltage has been raised to the new desired value at which time contact-16 moves out of engagement with contact 18 and the new point of stability is established.

In the meantime, due to the opening of push button contact 68, the Isodorm brake has not been operated to set u p the usual antihunting movement which accompanies all other operations of the quantity regulating device, and at the time when Voltage stability of the new higher value has been established, the piston 49 of the brake will be in substantially the same position as before.

Should it be desired to lower the normal voltage which the regulating equipment is to maintain in the system of Fig. l, the remotely located push button 67 may be operated to cause the Contact carrier 27 to move in a direction to give this desired lower voltage, and operations similar to those just described for the raising process will take place, except thatJ the respective directions of movement will be reversed.

It will be seen that, through my invention, I have' provided means for communicating, to the contact making element of a regulating indicator, the movements of an anti-hunting device and of a contact positional-adjusting device in a manner to eliminate interference therebetween and to permit satisfactory functioning of the system such as has been impossible through the use of other known coupling devices.

Although I have shown and described a certain specific embodiment of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a regulating system, quantity chan e responsive means and positionally adjustab e contacts associated therewith, a quantity control device operated in accordance with-the actuation of said change responsive means and said contacts, an anti-hunting device disposed upon operation to efeet a temporary movement tending to interrupt the actuation of the change responsive means and the contacts, means for operating said anti-hunting device in accordance with the operation of said quantity control device, positional adjusting means for setting the at rest position of the contacts to vary the normal magnitude of the quantity being regulated, and a differential mechanism for communicating the actuating movements of the anti-hunting and the adjusting means to the positionally adjustable contacts comprising one ormore pinions and two bevel gear wheels4 disposed to engage opposite sides of said pinions, said gear wheels being coupled respectively to the adjusting and to the anti-hunting means, said pinions being disposed to transmit their planetary movements about the axis of the bevel gears to the said positionally adjustable i interrupt their actuation by the change responsive means and to return them to their` original position after a predetermined time, means for operating said Isodorm brake in accordance with the operation of said quantity control device, means for adjusting,l by remote manual control or in response to a second quantity change indicating device, the at rest position of the said contacts to vary the normal magnitude of the quantity being regulated, and a differential mechanism comprising one or more `pinions and two bevel gear wheels disposed to engage opposite sides of said pinions, said gear wheels being coupled respectively to the at rest contact position adjusting means and to the anti-hunting means, said pinions being disposed to transmit their planetary movements, about the axes of the associated bevel gears, to the said positionally adjustable contacts to communicate the adjusting and anti-hunting movements thereto without interference therebetween.

3. In a system for regulating the magnitude of a given quantity, a quantity measuring instrument and a movable element actuated thereby, cooperating contact members disposed for selective engagement by said element when it moves in either direction from a given normal position, a shiftable support for carrying said contact members, a device for controlling the magnitude of the said quantity to be regulated, motive means for operating said control device, a circuit for energizing said motive means upon the engagement of said movable element and either of said contact members to eii'ect a corresponding corrective movement of the said control device, ananti-hunting means comprising a time lag producing mechanical device, motive means for actuating said antihunting means in accordance with the actuation of'said quantity control device, said antihunting means being associated with said contact carrying support to effect, upon contact engagement with the movable element,

a temporary movement of the support tendi 3 ing to break such enga ement and causing the support to return, a ter a time delay, to the original at rest position, and means for adjusting the at rest osition of said contact support to vary as esired the normal magnitude of the quantity being regulated, a differential mechanism for communicating the actuating movements of the said adjusting means and of the said anti-hunting means to said contact support to eliminate interference therebetween.

4. In a regulating system, means responsive to a change in a quantity to be regulated and a movable element actuated thereby, contact making means comprising positionally adjustable contacts disposed to cooperate with said movable element, a device for controlling the said quantity to be regulated, motive means for actuating said control device, an energizing circuit for said motive means controlled by the said quantity change responsive means for causing corrective movements of the control device, anti-hunting means disposed to cause the said positionally adjustable contacts to recede from the responsive means element upon a movement of the control device and return to their ori inal position after a predetermined time, an means for adjusting the at rest position of said positionally adjustable contacts to vary the normal magnitude of the quantity being regulated, a differential mechanism for communicating the actuating movements of the adjusting means and of the anti-hunting means to said positionally adjustable contacts to eliminate interference between said movements, saidl differential mechanism comprising one or more pinions and two similar evel gear wheels disposed to engage opposite sides of said pinions, said gear wheels being respectively coupled to the adjusting and to the anti-hunting means, said pinions being disposed to communicate their planetary movements to the said positionally adjustable contacts in the manner described.

5. A regulating system comprising a uantity change responsive device and positionally adjustable contacts associated therewith, a quantity control device disposed for operation in accordance with the actuation o said change responsive equipment, antihunting means in the form of an Isodorm brake disposed upon operation, to effect a temporary movement tending to interrupt the actuation of the change responsive equipment for a short period of time, means for adjusting the at rest position of the said adjustable contacts to vary 'the normal magnitude of the quantit bemg regulated, means for operating the sodorm brake in accordance with the operation of the said uantity control device except during periods when the at rest'position of the said contacts is being changed or adjusted, and a differential mechanism comprising one or more pinions and two bevel gear wheels disposed to engage opposite sides of said pinions, said gear wheels being coupled respectively to the adjusting and the anti-huntlng means, said pinions being disposed to transmit their planetary movement to the said positionally adjustable contacts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th day of January,

WERNER PONTOW. 

